Memory Lane
by HOTTERTHNU
Summary: A collection of memories from Ryan’s mental picture album. A few short, sweet pieces, involving young Ryan. May add other characters' memories...


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Memory Lane

Disclaimer: Fox owns the O.C.

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Summary: This is going to be a collection of memories from Ryan's mental picture album. A few short, sweet pieces, involving young Ryan.

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A/N: I should be posting my new story this week. I know you're all excited! If this goes well and people like it, I may do memories from, say, Seth's or Summer's childhood. Whatever you want. Just review and tell me! Oh, and, if anyone has a better suggestion for the title of the story, I'm open to anything. 

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Memory #1: Forever Friends

"Forever friends?" Theresa asked, picking the petals off of a daisy in her mom's garden. 

__

He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me.

Theresa wasn't sure if Ryan even thought about those kinds of things. When Arturo had been eight, he'd been into monster trucks, Power Rangers, and worms. Ryan seemed to be heading down the same path.

"Forever friends," Ryan agreed, absentmindedly flicking the transparent blue lighter on and off.

Theresa unhooked the safety pin from its protective encasing. "Hold the lighter steady," she ordered.

Ryan did as he was told, rolling his finger off the wheel. He smiled, satisfied, as a thin, wary orange stream of fire shot up. Only last week had his older brother Trey and Theresa's older brother, Arturo, taught him to use a lighter. Stealing a glance at Theresa, he noticed the approval shining in her face. _That_ made it worth it.

He hadn't noticed Theresa until the beginning of the summer, a few days after school let out. Normally, he'd be hanging with Trey and Arturo, but they'd made it clear he wasn't old enough this summer. Now that they were thirteen, it no longer made them feel important to have a kid five years their junior tagging along. 

Theresa wasn't half bad though. Ryan stole another glance at her. Theresa's long black hair now reached midway down her back; at the beginning of the summer, it had been just below her shoulders. Her eyes, they were still the same shade of midnight black. Only now, they were intensified. Ryan could practically see a beam of light emanating from them. 

"Your hand is shaking," Theresa snapped. Their eyes met, and for a brief second Ryan considered pressing his lips to hers. Kissing, it was called. Something that he'd seen Trey do with girls on the front stoop, behind the bowling alley, and under the bleachers at the high school. 

He wasn't exactly sure what to do though, after pressing your lips to a girl's. He hoped that it wouldn't feel the same as when his mom kissed him, a peck on the lips or cheek, dry and sweet, but well…motherly. Ryan didn't think Theresa would respond well to that sort of thing, and in the month and a half he'd known her, he'd realized that the girl could fight. And although he could too, Ryan didn't want to chance the fact that Theresa might be stronger than him.

Ceremonially, Theresa waved the safety pin through the flame. It had been her idea in the first place, to pledge their friendship. She'd just seen some movie…what was it called? Ryan couldn't remember the name. But in it, the three girls pledged their friendship by becoming blood sisters. That way, no matter how far apart they were, they'd always be together. Ryan rather liked the idea. It comforted him, in an odd sort of way. 

"Are we going to do this or not?" Ryan asked, sprawling out on his stomach. Theresa was studying a daddy long legs, which was creeping its way up a red tulip. 

"I'm ready," Theresa insisted. Ryan could tell she was trying to assure herself more than him.

"Want me to do yours and then you'll do mine?" Ryan offered, cupping his hand. Theresa shrugged, then dropped the pin into his outstretched palm. "Ready, one, two…"

"Ouch!" Theresa yelped, shaking her finger. After a moment of consideration, she popped it into her mouth to suck on it. 

Ryan grabbed Theresa's hand out of her mouth. "Don't be such a baby! Besides, you're going to suck all the blood out of it," he pointed out.

"Fine, if it's so painless, then let's see how _this_ feels, macho man," Theresa had picked up the pin and she plunged it into Ryan's finger. He winced, but didn't make a sound.

Staring at the blood oozing out of the prick, Ryan whimpered slightly. "Okay, so maybe I can see why it would hurt _you_," and Theresa knew that was all she was getting out of him. So maybe Ryan wouldn't admit that it had hurt him, but she and he both knew it.

Theresa pressed her finger against Ryan's, feeling the tiny pulse throbbing in his finger. She let go slowly, and then put her finger back in her mouth. Ryan stared at his blood-stained finger. The hole had stopped bleeding, for the most part. He needed to wash the sticky red evidence off of his finger before he went home. Dawn would have a fit if she saw blood on Ryan's hand, automatically suspecting him of getting into trouble. 

"I don't feel any different," Theresa announced, crossing her legs Indian-style. A second later she jumped up, and began hopping up and down. "The fireworks are going off!"

"Me neither," Ryan told her, standing up as well. "Happy fourth of July," he added, as a bright stream of orange and pink sparks lit up the sky. 

"Forever friends?" Theresa asked, her eyes on the fireworks.

"Forever friends," Ryan agreed. 

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A/N: That went better than I expected. I'm a Ryan/Marissa fan, but this was fun to write. So I may be doing more Theresa/Ryan stuff in the future. But only from when they were younger. Not in the present. Please review!!


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